Bag latch



May 10', 1938s A LONG 2,116,949

BAG LATCH Filed May 25, 1937 Patented May 10, 1938 PATENT OFFlCE BAG LATCH Allen T. Long, Petersburg, Va.

Application May 25,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to bag latches such as are used on the frames of Gladstone bags or bags and satchels of like character adjacent the ends of the bag frame for the purpose of holding the ends of the frame closed together.

Such latches usually embody a base attached to the outer frame member, a hasphinged to the base and carrying a downwardly extending tongue passing through an aperture in the base, and a spring yieldingly holding the hasp either in its closed or opened position.

This present application is a continuation in part of my application for patent, Ser. No. 126,927, filed February 20, 1937, and. the general object of the present invention is to so improve upon structures of this character as to considerably reduce the cost of manufacture and the cost of assembly and improve the looks of such bag latches.

A further object is to provide a latch, the outer surface of which has a smooth and unbroken contour when the latch is closed and in which provision is made to prevent the hard, highly tempered leaf spring of the latch from cutting out or wearing away that portion of the hasp with which it is engaged.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a bag latch constructed inaccordance with my invention and showing the latch closed.

Fig. 2 is a like view to Fig. 1 but showing the latch open.

Fig. 3 is an underside plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the base of the latch, the hasp being removed.

Fig. 5 is an underside plan view of the hasp.

In these figures, l0 designates the base which is made of stamped sheet metal, is hollow and, therefore, formed with an outer web or wall I.l, side walls I2 and an end wall I3. Of course, these walls merge into each other. The outer end of the web I I is curved downward and longitudinally to form the other end wall H of the base. Both ends of the base are provided with tongues or lugs 15 whereby as usual, the base may be connected to the bag frame by inserting these lugs through apertures in the bag frame and then bending the lugs inward against the inside face of the bag frame.

Web II is formed with a longitudinally extending slot l6 which opens into a relatively wide aperture or enlargement I! of slot I6 terminating in a relatively narrower extension H.

1937, Serial N0. 144,744

The end wall l3 of base Ill has an inwardly extending lug. l8 struck out therefrom. Adjacent the outer end of opening H, the wall H. has an upwardly. offset or raised portion 19. The adjacent end portionor extension l'l of the openingl'l extends through this inclined portion l9 so as to provide two inclined lateral flanges 20 on each side of the extension ll of opening H. The offset portion i9 is laterally rounded.

Hasp 2| is transversely rounded and approximately rectangular in plan. The inner end of the hasp is transversely rounded and beveled at 22.

Forming part of this hasp by being attached thereto is a transversely rounded plate 24 which is disposed between the side edges of the hasp and held in place in any suitable manner as, for instance, by the rivets 23. A tongue 25 is brazed, welded or otherwise attached to this plate. This plate 24 at its inner end is cut out to form a relatively narrow tang 26 disposed between the lateral walls of the extension I! of opening I! and the end of this tang is formed with laterally projecting stops 21. Inasmuch as the tang is inserted within the extension I! and fits snugly therein, the tang cannot move laterally nor can the hasp move laterally. The middle of the plate has a downwardly depressed curved lug 28 struck out of the plate and extending rearward beneath the rear portion of the tang. Disposed with one end in the space between the lug l8 and the wall II is a highly tempered steel leaf spring 29. The other end of this spring is curved upon itself to form a bead 30 on the underside of the spring. This bead is disposed within the curved lug 28, which extends beneath the bead and holds it firmly in place. The spring is longitudinally slotted at 31 so that the tongue 25 may pass through this slot. As the hasp 21 is raised from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the beaded end of the spring is forced rearward and at the same time deflected upward, the spring is longitudinally compressed and acts to resist in this position any depression of the hasp. When the hasp is lowered against the base, the spring 29 is partially relaxed but yieldingly resists any upward movement of the hasp. Thus this spring in either of its positions resists movement of the hasp, but when the hasp has been pushed very slightly downward, the spring will urge the hasp to its closed position. Inasmuch as the spring has a width equal to the width of the opening [1, the spring cannot move laterally and at all times urges thehasp into abutting pivoted en- .55

gagement with the upwardly inclined portion of web l i, so that the end 22 of the hasp has rocking engagement at all times with the raised portion of the base.

While I have shown the hasp 2| as having attached thereto the separate plate 24, it is to be understood that the plate constitutes part of the hasp after the plate is attached to the hasp.

It will be noted that when the hasp is closed, its outer face is flush with the offset portion l9 and the rear edge of the hasp abuts against the inclined edge face of the offset portion and the position of the spring, as shown in Fig. 1, prevents any rearward movement of the hasp away from said oifset portion and relative to the base. When the hasp is raised, the end 22 fulcrums against the beveled portion 20. The spring 29, under these circumstances, acts toforce the hasp upward as soon as the hasp has passed a neutral position. A very slight downward movement of the hasp, however, will bring the spring beyond its neutral position and the spring will snap the hasp to its closed position. The engagement of the beaded end of spring 29 with the curved lug 28 prevents any outward detaching movement of the hasp and even if the hasp can be longitudinally moved against the action of the spring, yet detachment of the hasp from the base is prevented by the laterally projecting stops 2].

This latch mechanism may be readily assembled by inserting the stop-carrying end of plate 24 attached to the hasp through the opening 11 and then turning the plate 24 so that its stops are disposed transversely across the base and behind the inclined flanges 20. When this has been done, the tongue 25 is disposed through the slot in the spring 29; one end of the spring 29 is engaged beneath the lug IS; the spring .is flexed and the beaded end of the spring is engaged beneath the curved lug 28. Once the spring is in place, all parts are held firmly in position against any relative movement except the movement of opening or closing the hasp 2! The plate 24 may be readily stamped out of sheet metal and readily attached. to the underface of the hasp either by riveting or by other means well known in the art.

This construction does away with the necessity of forming an eye on plate 24 to engage around a pivot pin, which is an expensiveoperation, or forming trunnions on the end of the hasp to engage in offset bearings formed in the base plate, which is a construction often found in bag latches on the market. There is no necessity of riveting the spring to the inner face of the base plate as is commonly done so as to permit the free end of the spring to be engaged by a lug on the pivotal end of the hasp whereby to flex the spring as the hasp is opened or closed. This last named construction is relatively expensive to make and the spring does not exert enough tension, because it extends parallel with the base plate, to hold the hasp closed against accidental opening movement.

The bead at the end of the spring 29 in my construction is an important feature of my latch inasmuch as this bead prevents the cutting off of the lug 28 by the continued flexing of the spring and the continued pressure of the sharp end edge of the highly tempered steel spring against the lug which acts to abrade the lug and cut it through until the lug breaks off. It is likewise pointed out that when the hasp is closed, there are no bearings or other portions which project upward from the surface of the latch but that the outer surface of the latch is smooth and practically unbroken from one end to the other when the hasp is closed.

What is claimed is:-

1. A bag latch of the character described, including a base having an opening in its upper face, a hasp having its end portion rocking against one end wall of said opening in the base, the hasp having a downwardly projecting tongue, means carried by the hasp extending through said opening and interlocking the hasp with the base, and a downwardly bowed spring operative- 1y engaged at one end with the underface of the hasp adjacent its fulcrum and at the opposite end operatively engaged with the base.

2. A bag latch of the character described, including a base having an opening in its upper face, a hasp having an end portion rockingly engaging against one end wall of said opening in the base, the hasp having a downwardly projecting tongue, means carried by the hasp extending through said opening and interlocking the hasp with the base, the hasp extending through said opening and having an inwardly projectinglug adjacent its fulcrum, and a downwardly bowed spring operatively engaged at one end with the base, the opposite end of the spring having a bead engaging within said lug on the hasp.

3. A bag latch of the character described, .including a base having a slot in its upper face and a relatively wide opening constituting a continuation of the slot, a hasp having one end thereof rocking against one end wall of said opening in the base, the hasp havinga downwardly projecting tongue and having a tang extending through said opening, interlocking the hasp with the base the tang having a downwardly and rearwardly curved lug, and a downwardly bowed spring engaged at one end with the base and at its other end having a cylindrical bead disposed within said lug and bearing thereagainst, the spring having an opening through which the hasp tongue extends.

4. A bag latch, including a hollow base, the

lateral flanges, a hasp disposed with one end:

against the raised portion of the base and rocking thereagainst, the hasp having a tongue extending downward through the slot of the base and the hasp having a relatively narrow tang disposed inward of the plane of the hasp and provided at its end with laterally projecting stops, the tang passing through the opening of the base and the stops being disposed behind said lateral flanges, the tang having a downwardly and inwardly projecting lug and the base at its opposite end having a second downwardly and inwardly projecting lug, and a downwardly bowed leaf spring having one end inserted beneath the last named lug, the opposite end of the spring having a cylindrical bead engaged beneath the lug on the tang, said spring being slotted to permit the passage of the tongue.

5. A bag latch, including a hollow base, the outer wall of which is formed with a longitudinally extending slot and beyond the slot with a relatively wide longitudinally extending opening, the upper wall of the base at one end of said opening being raised to provide two laterally disposed flanges on each side of the end of the opening, a hasp having rocking engagement at one end with the adjacent end of the raised wall of the base and having a downwardly extending tongue passing through the opening of the base, one end of the hasp being provided with a narrow tang formed with laterally projecting stops and with a downwardly extending lug, the tang extending through the opening and the stops being disposed inward of the flanges, and a downwardly bowed leaf spring having edge abutting engagement at one end with the lug on the tang and at its other end engaged with the base whereby the spring urges the end of the hasp into abutting engagement with the adjacent wall of the opening, the spring being flexed upon an opening movement of the hasp and yieldingly holding the hasp in open position and flexed upon a downward movement and yieldingly holding the hasp in a closed position, said spring at all times urging the pivotal end of the hasp into abutting engagement with the adjacent wall of the opening.

6. A bag latch, including a hollow base, the upper wall of the base extending horizontally in one plane to a predetermined distance, then extending upward and then longitudinally and downward, said upper wall being formed with a longitudinally extending slot and a relatively wide opening beyond said slot, the opening at the end having a narrow extension formed within the raised portion of the base, a hasp disposed with one end abutting against the raised portion of the base and rocking thereagainst, the hasp having a tongue extending downward through a slot in the base and the hasp having a relatively narrow tang disposed inward of the plane of the hasp and passing through the extension of said opening, the tang having a downwardly and inwardly projecting lug and the base at its opposite end having a second downwardly and inwardly projecting lug and a downwardly bowed leaf spring having its ends inserted beneath said lugs, the spring having a width equal to the width of said opening and being slotted to permit the passage of the tongue.

ALLEN T. LONG. 

